Helicopter



A. MONSEN Sept. 1, 1925.

HELICOPTER Filed Nov. 6. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Se pt. 1, 1925 A. MONSENHELICOPTER Filed Nov. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1, i925.

ADOLPH HON'SEN, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

HELICOPTER.

Application filed November To all whom it maycmicem.

Be it known that I, AnoLPn MONSEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Logansport, in the county ofCass .and State of ndiana, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Helicopters, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention'relates to helicopters.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide an improvedhel icopter.

Another object is to provide a helicopter having improved propelling andcontrol mechanism.

Another object is to provide ahelicopter wherein the same propellers'serve for ele vation and advance.

Another object is to provide a helizopter wherein the pilot house bodyserves; as a rudder. 4 Y 7 Another object is to provide a helicopterwhich is simple and reliable. C

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter'appear. n

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingl,drawings, wherein; Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the helicopter withsome of -'the-operating mechanism in section.

Fig. 2 is anenlarged section. on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sideelevation with. part of the pr'oseller drive and pilothouse-in section, at) j Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of thepilot house.

The helicopter has a frame work which carries a set of vehicle wheels 5,of which there may be four, and a. pilot house 6,

within which the motor and controls are 10- Gated and wherein theoperator may sit.

The frame work shown has two sidemembers 7.and 8 and a transverse member9. An upright post-10 is located at each corner of the frame work. Posts10 are connected together in pairs at 'the top by cross braces 11. Theframe members, braces and posts ma be made of metal pipe connected toe,1922. Serial No. 599,235. 4

; prop ellers are mounted near theupper ends of front p0sts-l0andthe'rear palr of propellers 16 are mounted nearthe upper ends of rearposts 10. Each propeller is carried by a short shaft 17 which isjournaled in abracket 18. Brackets 18 may be provided with suitable ballbearings 19 for "shafts 17. Brackets 18 for each 'pair' 0t propellersare rigidly secured to the ends 0 therewith.

- A counter-shaft 20. is housed within each brace, 11. A bevel pinion2l-is rigidly mounted on each end of each shaft 20.

P inions 21 on each shaft engage lever "p1nions22secured to shaft 17 ofthe corbevel pinions 24. Pinions 24 are secured to i the upper ends oftwo driven shafts 25. Shafts 25 are housed in pipes, 26 and carrypinions 27; at their lower ends. Pinion's I 27.mesh with bevel pinions28 which are secured to a main shaft 29. Shaft 29 may so be madetin twoparts interconnected by a suitable'coupling 30. Main shaft 29 may beconnectedto, and disconnected fromlthe shaft of an engine 35 by asuitable. clutch 36. Clutch 36 is operated by a lever 37 and 35 may beof the Well known type which will lock or grip the driven shaft againstrotation when the same is disconnected from the driving shaft.

Thus the engine of the hehcopter rotates bothpairs of propellers. Thedirection of rotation may be changed for any'propeller, if desired, bychanging'the position of its pinion 22 from engagement with the upperside of pinion 21 into engagement with the lower side thereof. Therotation of the .propellers provides the necessary lift for raising thehelicopter. The same propellers also serve to advance the helicopter.

As previously described, each pair. of pro- 1 pellers is mounted onbrackets 18 which are journaled to the framework. Thus each pair ofpropellers may be tilted about the a corresponding brace 11 so as toturn 65 get er at their ends by suitable fittings. The fittings whichsecure braces 11 in place provide journals therefor so that the bracesmay be rotated as hereinafter set forth.

The helicopter illustrated is provided with four propellers mounted inairs, two 'fore and two aft. The forwar pair of axis of the shaft 20 ineither a forwardted lines in Fig. 3. Each brace 11 has a pair of arms 40secured thereto. Arms 40 have cables 41 secured thereto. Cables 41 passaround pulleys 42 and are adapted to be wound thereon by themanipulation of or backward direction, as shown by the doti The enginerotates the propellers in whatever angular position they may be.

To steer the helicopter the pilot house is extended rearwardly toprovide a rudder 45. A supporting, circular track 46 is rigidly carriedby the framework. A companion circular track 47 is rigidly secured tothe inside of the walls of the pilot house. Suitable anti-frictionbearings 48 may be interposed between tracks 46 and 47. A gear wheel 49is journaled in a bearing 50 which is secured to the track 47 andextends through a slot in the track to engage the teeth of an annularrack 51, forming a part of track 46. Gear wheel 49 is rotated by a cable52, which passes over a pulley 53 carried by the pilot house andoperable by a steering wheel 54. Thus the rotation of the steering wheelin one direction or the other rotates the gear wheel 49 in thecorresponding direction. The rotation of gear wheel 49 causes the sameto travel over rack 51 and since rack 51 is stationary relative to theframe work and track 47 is stationary relative to the pilot house, thepilot house is moved in one direction or the other. Preferably pilothouse supporting track 46 is positioned at an angle to the horizontal,the rear end being higher than the forward end. This arrangement allowsthe pilot house to scribed my name.

swing on a diagonal from side to side and ,assists the elevating andsteering.

When the helicopter is elevated and power is removed from the propellerby the operation of clutch lever 37 the propellers are lockedagainstrotation and act somewhat like a parachute to'insure a gradual descent.

Engine 35 and pilot house supporting track 46 are supported upona pairof cross braces55. Braces 55 also carry a seat 56 for the operator. Anopening 57 in the pilot house serves for exit and entrance thereto andas a window for the operator. Slots 58 in the pilot house and similarslots for shaft 29 and operators lever 43 permit the pilot house to bemoved relative to the framework, engine and seat.

Having described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secureby Let ters Patent, is v 1. A helicopter comprising a framework, apropeller carried thereby, and a pilot house carried by'the frameworkand bodily rotatable relatively to saidframe to serve as a rudder. H

2. A helicoptercomprising a framework,

'a curved supporting track carried thereby,

a pilot house, a track secured to the pilot house and movably supportedby the supporting track, cmeans for causing relative movement betweenthe two tracks to move the pilot house, and a propeller for raising thehelicopter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sub- ADOLPH MONSEN.

